“Anxiety is love’s greatest killer. It makes others feel as you might when a drowning man holds on to you. You want to save him, but you know he will strangle you with his panic.” ― Anais Nin

Suffering

Do you constantly have a little knot in the pit of your stomach? Do you spend endless nights tossing and turning as you try to get to sleep only to wake up over and over again?  Do you have racing thoughts spinning through your head?

Do you obsess about everything? Do you worry about whether your partner really loves you of if you have enough money, how much you hate your job, if you should call your mom more or if that cake you ate last night will make you gain 5 pounds? Do you worry and worry and worry?

If so, then you are not alone.  What you have is called anxiety and according to the ADAA an estimated 7 million people suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.  I used to be one of those people.

The Truth

I’m sure you understand how it works.  The anxiety never ceases. It can be your best friend and your worst enemy.  It is always there and I’m sure you have no idea how to make it go away.  Little by little it takes over your life. There is no peace and you are never calm and happy no matter how hard you to try to think it away.

For me, anxiety was out of control.  Eventually, I got to breaking point.  I was in a relationship with a good man, but my head could not stop talking. It talked me right into breaking up with him even though I didn’t want to. Anxiety was controlling my life.

Soon after, not knowing what else to do I saw my therapist. During the session, the anxiety was emanating from my pores.  I could not stand it. I felt so powerless.  He suggested medication. I refused, for like the 10th time.

Change

At this point, I KNEW I had to change. I knew therapy had taken me as far as it could go.  The next day I began researching meditation.  I found a teacher in my area.  What happened after just one session was a miracle.

After one hour of meditation my anxiety disappeared. I swear. It has not returned the way it was before and if it does I have the tools to combat those never ending circular thoughts.

If you are at a point where your anxiety is running your life and you don’t know what to do but you want to (no, you HAVE to) change I suggest the following:

  1. Find a meditation teacher in your area.

Google “meditation near me” and find someone who will teach you the basics.  Go with an open mind.  Below is a link to my teacher. She is in Orange County, California, but does sessions via Skype. She is amazing. Infinite You Meditation

  1. If you can’t afford a teacher there are usually meditation centers that offer an introductory session for free once per month.
  1. If you don’t want to wait or don’t want to go to a group setting then try You Tube Guided Meditations

There are a few ways to go about this. You can do a search for “how to meditate” which will give you basic instructions on how to meditate.  Or, you can search “guided meditation” which is my preference.

If your mind is so busy that it will not quiet itself long enough to gain any peace it certainly won’t help to go at it alone.

Listening to a guide will help you focus until you can learn to quiet your mind.  Most importantly find a guide with a voice that sounds calming to you.

Be patient with yourself.  Practice and practice every day. Practice 10 times per day if you need to.  Find what works for you.

Success

As you read this and the thoughts swirl around in your mind, “will it work”, “she can’t be serious”, “nothing has worked” why not tell yourself, “What the hell do I have to lose?”

Try it.  Every time you are feeling anxious sit and meditate, even if only for 10 minutes.  Your mind will shift.

Don’t expect perfection.  After all, we are all only human and you will stumble and become frustrated at times. But, just get out your phone and sit alone for ten minutes with your guide.

Meditation will bring you back to your centered place, to your true self, where you have been all along, to where your mind stops running and where you can finally experience peace. Do it. Nothing is stopping you.

Here are some additional posts and a meditation video you might find helpful: 12 Minute Meditation for Anxiety Relief How to K.O. Anxiety in Under 5 Minutes Why You’re Anxious In Relationships Part II